


Through Her Eyes

by That_Is_Americas_Ass



Series: Stranger Drabbles [9]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angry Billy Hargrove, Angst, Angst and Feels, Billy Hargrove & Eleven | Jane Hopper Friendship, Billy Hargrove & Maxine "Max" Mayfield Have a Good Relationship, Billy Hargrove Deserves Better, Billy Hargrove Lives, Billy Hargrove Redemption, Billy Hargrove Tries to Be a Better Sibling, Billy and Nancy Bond, Cute Eleven | Jane Hopper, Eleven | Jane Hopper Deserves Happiness, Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts, Fluff, Mentions of Sam Mayfield, Post Season 3, Protective Billy Hargrove, Protective Siblings, Sibling Bonding, Steve being a dork, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing, backstory time, i'll stop now, the party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-09 10:31:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20993354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_Is_Americas_Ass/pseuds/That_Is_Americas_Ass
Summary: Eleven wants nothing more than to swim with her friends during the hot summer days at the pool, there is just one teeny tiny problem.She's scared of the water.If only there was someone who could teach her to swim and help her overcome her fears, someone who knew how.Someone she trusted with her life.Like a certain lifeguard, perhaps?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The Season 3 conclusion destroyed all our souls...
> 
> SO I FIXED IT! 
> 
> Wipe away those tears guys because I made everything better!
> 
> Post S3 ending, with some major details changed. You'll see! In this new add-on of our adventure, we will get to see some Billy and Eleven action. (Not that kind, sorry, not my ship!) And as always, a healthy dose of Billy and Max with the Party making debuts as well. We will also see some bonding between Billy and Nancy. 
> 
> Pandaruler1897 this one is for you. This one was hard, but I hope it's everything you imagined and more.

It was the last days of summer in the quiet town of Hawkins, Indiana. 

Leaves had slowly begun to dull from their vibrant greens as the days grew longer and the nights grew colder. With the beginning of Autumn on the rise, the fine folks of Hawkins were hastening to finish out the warm weather as much as they could. That meant barbecues, garden parties and soaking up some sun at the Hawkins Community Pool. 

After the horrendous 4th of July bash that ended with the Starcourt Mall _mysteriously_ burning to the ground, the Chief of Police and one young teen being gravely wounded during the chaos and a conspiracy that lead to the impeachment of the beloved Mayor Kline, the townsfolk of Hawkins had been rather solemn when they should have been celebrating. After having their small town overrun by government officials and reporters looking for the big story, Hawkins had gone from _Small Town America_ to _Area 51: The Sequel!_

The aftereffect of the blowout had not only damaged the spirits of those living in Hawkins but also the reputability of the town.

People now compared Hawkins to places like Roswell, claiming odd sightings of creatures straight out of science fiction novels and spreading rumors of secret government labs hiding aliens or monsters. 

All that nonsense aside, the only thing that had been confirmed with absolute certitude was that Larry Kline had committed fraud by swindling the farm owners of Hawkins out of their land for unknown Second Parties. This in turn lead to his impeachment after Chief Hopper finished his extensive investigation. No one had been willing to argue with the Chief's findings, no one was that valiant.

Furthermore, Mayor Kline's favor with the public had plummeted after his latest schemes. No one was willing to take his side or his case. 

During the following month after the Mall's destruction, it was not only Chief Hopper that gained recognition for his heroic deeds during the disaster. 

Billy Hargrove had been named a lionheart by the local newspapers. The story was that he'd been involved in the accident by coming to the aid of the kids, as well as Hopper, falling victim to a section of the second story walkway after it collapsed, impaling him through the chest and preventing his escape. 

By Heavens chance, soldiers storming the wreckage had found him and dislodged him from the structure, rushing his body to awaiting EMT's who were able to revive him. 

After a harrowing battle to survive his wounds, Billy narrowly escaped the jaws of death. In the ensuing investigation following the leveling of Starcourt Mall, both Chief Jim Hopper and Billy Hargrove recount the nightmare they scarcely escaped, bringing to light the unanswered questions the people of Hawkins, and the world, crave most. Their story continues to thrive as the heroes of Hawkins earn the recognition they deserve and---

"_\--and live on as celebutantes in the eyes of Hawkins_\--This does not sound like me at all, Wheeler..." Billy stated unamused, flipping the news article down to glare at Nancy halfheartedly. 

"Would you shut up and keep reading?" Nancy groaned and pushed the newspaper back up at him, gesturing wildly for him to keep going. "Read!"

"The Hell kind of word is _celebutantes,_ anyway?" he grumbled, rolling his eyes with a sigh as he righted the paper to continue reading.

\--and live on as celebutantes in the eyes of Hawkins. As a symbol of their bravery, the town of Hawkins will be erecting a memorial plaque in the newly reconstructed Downtown square, honoring Hopper and Hargrove in a way that will exist for generations to come. The advocates endorsing the memorial are none other than Hawkins very own Nancy and Mike Wheeler, Joyce Byers and her sons; Jonathan and Will Byers, Dustin Henderson, Lucas and Erica Sinclair, Maxine Mayfield and Jane Hopper. A small token of gratitude for Chief Hopper and Billy Hargrove's bravery on the Independence Day that no one will soon forget. 

"_\--a story by Nancy Wheeler; Hawkins Girl Next Door._ Nice job, Wheeler, you finally got that big story you wanted," Billy deadpanned, laying the newspaper down on the table. 

"Don't sound so excited," Nancy smirked as she teased him. "But come on, what do you think?"

Billy leaned back and grabbed for his pack of cigarettes, flipping his lighter open to puff the toxin lazily before clicking his tongue at her. 

"Lot a fancy words for a lie. You and the brats can say it all you want but I'm no hero."

"That's not true and you know it," she stated firmly, daring him to argue with her. "I know the story isn't completely true when it comes to you and Hopper's injuries, but that doesn't mean you are any less deserving, Billy. No matter what you think, you are our hero. You saved us, you saved Eleven. You fought off an interdimensional monster the size of a house with your bare hands! How is that not heroic?"

Billy just gave her an unimpressed look, flicking ash to the ground. He'd heard the whole _hero_ thing so many times now that it had become mundane. Every reporter he'd been forced to deal with had waxed lyrical nonsense about him being a white knight or some other bullshit. 

That's exactly what it was; _bullshit._

"Last I checked, kidnapping people and feeding them to an _interdimensional monster_ was not considered a heroic deed, or have we been reading different fairytales?" 

"Billy," Nancy sighed in remorse, knowing Billy would likely never give himself any credit. No matter how many times they all tried to convince him he was not to blame, that he was a victim as well, the teen just wouldn't concede. It broke her heart to know Billy thought so little of himself. 

"Don't get me wrong, it's a nice article. If it gets you some good publicity to get your name out there, great, happy to help. But don't confuse fact with fiction, Nancy. Pretty words aren't gonna change what happened," Billy uttered with a shrug, like it was perfectly fine to disregard his actions that night.

_It didn't mean shit to him anyway so why would he care?_

Max suddenly scampered over outta nowhere and collapsed onto Billy's lap, munching on a bag of M&M's, "Did you read it?"

Billy grunted from the added weight, glaring at his bratty little sister as she leaned against him like he was a pool lounger!

"I've got a _lit_ cigarette in my hand," he scolded, pulling the red hot end away from Max's head before she burnt herself or her hair. It annoyed the shit out of him when Max didn't pay attention to her surroundings, fearing the day she would no doubt get hurt because of it. 

Max grabbed the smoke from his hand and stubbed it out in the ashtray, smiling innocently as he growled at her, offering up some of her candy. 

"And now you don't. So, did you read Nancy's article?"

"Yes, shitbird, I read the damn thing, what of it?" he rumbled, snatching the bag of M&M's from her. 

Max pouted and reached for her candy, glaring at her brother when he held them up out of her reach. 

_Damn her short arms!_

"Give it back!" she exclaimed while reaching for her chocolate goodies, pushing against Billy's much larger arm.

"Get off me," he hurled right back, smirking at Max's pathetic attempt to lower his arm down to her reach. Being well over a foot taller than her had its perks. 

Holding crap above her head was one of the better ones. 

Max grumbled at him and crossed her arms, pushing backwards against his scarred chest just to rile him up even more, "No, you're comfortable. Deal with it."

Nancy couldn't help but smile at the bickering siblings. It was unusual to see Billy and Max act so harmonious in the presence of others, just as it was now unusual to see the two quarrel with each other. 

That had been a major change after the battle of Starcourt. 

Billy and Max had changed not only with the party but mostly with each other. It had never been a secret that Billy was protective over Max, to the point of violence, just as they all seemed to understand that Max was protective over Billy as well. What changed had been the outward display of their bond. 

Exhibit A; Billy allowing Max to sit with him, more precisely _on_ him, in the company of other people.

Something that would have never been tolerated before the horrific escapades of the Upside Down.

It was still strange to see it in person, given that Nancy doesn't get to hang out with the Party very often, but she had to admit that it warmed her heart to see Max and her brother sitting together on a pool chair, fighting over a bag of candy, and feeling comfortable enough to do so. 

The Party had decided to get a few more days in at the public pool before the end of summer. Being branded a hero had given Billy his job back as a lifeguard, which was about the only positive outcome he could find after the madness he'd gone through. So, the kids tried to make it over to the pool at least once or twice a week to spend time together. 

Today was one of those days. 

Dustin had begged Steve to bring them and wouldn't let up until the older teen gave in, annoyed with the constant begging, claiming he could probably score some girls with Robin at his side. In turn, Steve had pleaded with Nancy to accompany them too, mentioning that she'd yet to ask Billy about reading her article in the paper. 

Billy was on his break, after taking the morning shift, when they had all shown up. He'd been lounging in one of the far pool chairs so he could smoke and relax. 

Nancy had jumped at the chance to show him the paper and get his opinion on it. After all, she'd written it to commemorate him and Hopper. 

"So, what'd he think?" Max piped up, looking down at the folded newspaper. She'd been super excited after reading Nancy's story, claiming it was probably the nicest thing anyone's ever said about Billy.

Nancy shrugged, "He still thinks he's the villain of the story."

"I could have told you that. He's a dipshit sometimes," Max tsk-tsked, moving her head quickly to avoid Billy's swatting hand. 

"Watch the mouth," he warned her with a heated glare, slightly miffed by her jab, even if she was only joking. He wasn't always harsh with Max about the name calling but he wouldn't condone her doing it in public.

God forbid some rumor got back to their parents about Maxine's crude language. 

_As bad as her brother,_ they'd say. 

He didn't need that aggravation.   
"You're mouth is like a million times worse than mine!" Max exasperated, like any pre-teen would after being told to _knock it off_. "And don't try and tell me you weren't as bad as me because I remember how much you swore at 14. You corrupted my innocent ears."

"That's because I was a punk with loose morals long before you started toddling around behind me everywhere I went."

"I was not a toddler, asshole!"

"You were 5, and what did I just say about mouthing? I don't give a shit what you say at home, so long as it's just us, but don't do it in public. That kinda thing circles back to your mom or Neil and we're both dead," he lectured her firmly, but he did try to keep his tone from sounding harsh. "You know better, anyway..."

Max seemed to deflate after that, shrugging the whole thing off like she normally did if Billy got on to her about something. Besides, he was right about what would happen if her mom, or Neil, heard her cussing like she did around her friends or Billy. 

It would not be a pretty sight. 

On top of all that, Billy may have been the one to teach her all the crazy curse words of the world, but he was also the one that taught her when it was, and when it was not, appropriate to use such language. The first time she'd said _fuck_, Billy had stared at her for a moment, speechless, before scolding her about it, but he'd been smiling the whole time. 

Lately, Billy had been rather lenient with her though. 

Before, if she screwed up and got into trouble, Billy's first reaction would be to yell at her, usually ending with him storming off and her crying quietly in her room and wishing an anvil would drop from the sky and crush her brother like a cartoon.

Now, with her pubescent mischievous schemes always getting her and the others into trouble, Max had noticed the dramatic change in how Billy had started handling her wayward behavior. There were no more screaming matches or breaking things, a normal reaction when Billy was pissed off, instead there was _actual talking_. Long lectures in the camaro or at home when they were alone, without the dominating authority of Neil hanging over their heads. 

Max knew, above all else, that Billy was trying to be a better man than his father. In her eyes, he was doing a really good job. It was kind of pathetic that Billy was more of a parent figure than her mom was half the time. 

"Have you eaten any real food?" Billy asked, poking at her ribs. 

_Case in point._

Max swatted at his hand, squirming around to escape from any tickling that could happen, "I ate a bag of chips earlier. Does that count?"

"I don't think chips count as real food, honey." Nancy grinned behind her hand, holding back her laughter at the squabbling siblings. 

Billy sighed and reached over to where his lifeguard pouch was sitting on the table, pulling the zipper open and retrieving a ten dollar bill. 

"If I give you money for actual food, will you leave me the fuck alone so I can smoke in peace?"

Max snatched the cash and gave a dramatic gasp, covering her ears! "You said a _bad word._ Corruption!"

Billy rolled his eyes and turned back to Nancy, "You see what I deal with every day?"

"Whatever. You want a water or something?" Max asked as she hopped up, pocketing the money in her shorts. 

"I _want_ to smoke, shitbird! Now would you _please_ fuck off and leave me alone?"

"We don't use that kind of language in public," she scolded in a mocking tone, leaping away with a grin when Billy lunged at her. He grabbed a towel from the rack beside him and chucked it at her, watching her giggle as she walked back over to her friends over by the locker rooms. 

"She seems like she's a handful," Nancy said with a knowing grin. She knew from experience just how taxing younger siblings could be at times.

"Little hellion is what she is. Try living with her," Billy grunted with a scowl, grabbing his pack of cigarettes from the table. He checked his watch as noted that he only had about 8 minutes left on his break. 

_Damn._

"Just be thankful you only have one. Being the oldest is hard enough, but add in one teen and a 6 year old on top of that? It's insane sometimes," Nancy claimed as she leaned back in her chair, kicking her feet up. "Specifically when your parents are too wrapped up in their own worlds to actually parent their youngest children, or in my dad's case just too damn lazy."

Billy smirked and thought about how Nancy may have been right on the single sibling front, but as for the parents, that was another story. 

"At least yours are home. I've got one back in California, one that's always up my ass about being a better man and another one that I didn't fucking want. Are any of them around to play the damn role? _Na-da._ I'm the one who's looked after Max most of our lives 'cause both our parents were too _busy._ And don't even get me started on Max's fuckin' dad..." Billy grit his teeth just thinking about Sam Mayfield, last place winner for Father-Of-The-Year and that included Neil Hargrove running as competition. 

Billy had never liked Sam, for good reason, but he loathed the man after the last encounter they'd had. The man was a piece of shit that should have been buried six feet under for how he'd treated his own kid. 

_Motherfucker could rot in Hell for all he cared._

"I don't think Max has ever talked about her dad?" Nancy noted with some confusion, trying to recall if she'd ever heard Max or the boys mention Max's biological father.

Billy scoffed around his cigarette, "For good reason." 

"Sure...that doesn't sound foreboding at all?" she muttered, a little unnerved by the sudden venom lacing Billy's words. Whatever story was behind Max's dad must have been abhorrent to render such animosity. 

"Can I ask what happened?" she asked softly, not wanting to overstep any bounds or come across as prying, she was honestly just curious. There was still a lot they didn't know about Billy and Max's life back in California.

Billy remained silent for a few moments, puffing out the last of his smoke before rubbing his cigarette out in the ashtray. He finally looked up at her with a halfhearted smirk. 

"You can...but story time's over," he tapped at his watch. "See ya' around, Wheeler."

Nancy watched him get up slowly from the chair, seeing the very subtle grimace cross his face as he stretched his body back upright. The scars across his chest were covered by the Lifeguard tank top he was sporting, but Nancy remembered how they looked all the same. It looked like someone had taken a chainsaw to his chest. The doctors had pieced Billy back together like a messed up, horror version of humpty dumpty.

She'd never forget the stomach-turning sight of all that blood...

While she watched Billy head towards the locker rooms to clock back in, she felt someone else come up beside her. Looking to her left she smiled when she saw El sit down on the pool lounger next to her. The little girl was dressed in a cute sundress with matching sandles, her hair braided back and her sunglasses perched on top of her head.

Eleven offered a gentle smile as she took her seat. 

"Hey, sweetie." Nancy smiled at the younger girl, knowing the reason El was over with her instead of getting ready to hit the water. 

El did not swim.

Specifically, _couldn't_ swim. 

It had been a little bit of a shock when they all learned that El had never been taught to swim, being that the scientists at the lab put her in a tank of water. They didn't ever hold it against her or say anything about it. El had claimed she enjoyed watching them swim at the pool. It made her happy to see them happy. The boys and Max had tried to tell El that they didn't have to spend time at the pool to swim, they could play other ways, but El just firmly told them that she liked hanging around at the pool to spend time with Billy and them, swimming aside. 

They'd all given up on the argument after that.

Hopper, being the dad that he is, had bought El her own swimsuit and sundress to wear at the pool so she felt like she fit in. He'd even offered to get her a set of floaties to wear so she could float in the water but El had declined. It was not only that she couldn't swim, it was also her unshakable fear of water itself. It simply held too many bad memories of being shoved into the isolation tank and used as a lab rat.

That kind of inhumanity leaves a mark. 

The Party had all been supportive though. They'd offered to stick to the shallow kid pool that was only so deep so El could join them, but again, she politely refused. She didn't want them to lessen their fun for her sake, claiming it wouldn't have been fair. 

Instead, El would sit in the pool chairs and watch her friends play in the water, cheering them on from the sidelines. 

"Did Billy read your story?" El asked softly, pointing to the paper. She had also been excited about Billy's reaction after watching Hopper read the article. They'd gone to the station to show him together, wanting to surprise him. The Chief had quickly wiped his eyes to keep his tough guy act up, pulling them all in for a hug to express his thanks. Florence may or may not have started blubbering behind her tissue after reading the paper too. 

"Billy still doesn't believe he deserves anything. I think you know that better than any of us after looking inside his head," Nancy answered with a sympathetic tone, knowing El would understand. 

And Eleven did understand.

Seeing the unfair treatment Billy suffered as a child, the malevolent nature of his dad towards both Billy and his mother, watching Billy suffer silently as the Mind Flayer controlled him like a puppet, being a pawn in the Mind Flayers game had given Billy a convoluted view of himself. 

Billy didn't see himself as a survivor that struggled to save innocent lives, all he could see was a failure that was unable to break free sooner. 

An unwilling instrument for a monster Hellbent on destroying the world. 

It didn't matter that Billy had won. It didn't matter that he'd saved El and the others from the clutches of death. It didn't matter that he'd almost been killed trying to right the wrongs he'd been forced to commit. 

El had seen and felt the devastation and despair Billy felt inside his head. The only time he'd managed to break the Mind Flayers control long enough to come back to himself was when they'd trapped him inside the sauna, the scalding heat had been enough to push the Mind Flayer back. Billy had become hysterical when he begged Max to believe it wasn't his fault, pleading with her to believe he could never be so cold-blooded. It was in that moment that El knew Billy was a victim just like the rest of them. 

_If only he could see himself in the same light._

"You know, I think Billy might change his opinion of himself if we could make him see he's not as bad as he thinks," Nancy suggested with a cunning smirk.

El frowned at her, confused. How could they make Billy change his mind about himself? They'd all told him he wasn't a monster, nor was he to blame for all those people the Mind Flayer took, what more could they do?

"Maybe not so much _us_, but more like something _you_ could do," Nancy explained quickly as she thought up an idea. "I know you're scared of the water and there is nothing wrong with that, but maybe, if you're comfortable with the idea, maybe you could ask Billy to teach you?"

"Teach me? Swim?" El asked, still confused. 

Nancy smiled and laughed at El's stumped look, knowing the girl probably didn't know what swimming lessons were. El was still very innocent to the ways of the world. It was hard to remember sometimes that the girl had been isolated from the outside world her entire life. 

"It's called swimming lessons, honey. Lots of people have to take them to learn how to swim, even I did when I was a kid. Billy is trained to teach kids how to swim, it's part of the job of being a Lifeguard."

El seemed to understand after that, contemplating the idea. She looked over to where Billy was sitting on the lifeguard tower, watching the Party more than anyone else, fiddling with the whistle around his neck. She trusted Billy with her life, that much was obvious, so she knew she could trust him with her fears as well. 

Standing up, El smiled at Nancy before walking around the pool towards the lifeguard tower.

* * *

It was ridiculously hot, even up under the umbrella of the tower, and Billy could feel sweat beading up on his forehead for the hundredth time! Wiping his brow with the bottom of his shirt, he contemplated calling over to Max and asking her to run and grab him a wet towel. The kids were splashing around beneath the tower playing a game of ball, bouncing a beach ball back and forth like volleyball. Every time the brats came to the pool to swim, Billy always found himself paying more attention to them than any of the other patrons, continuously making sure to keep a certain redhead in his field of vision at all times. 

After the craziness of the past year, he was allowed to be paranoid.

_Not to mention also annoyed._

"Henderson! Knock it off!" he demanded, glaring down at Steve's brat for dunking Will under the water, again, after he'd told him not to.

"Sorry!" Dustin cried, sputtering when Max splashed him right in the face in retaliation! Will quickly got in on the water fight and soon it was all the kids versus Dustin.   
Rolling his eyes at their antics, Billy wiped his face off again before leaning back into the shade. A few minutes of peace was all he wanted. Unfortunately, all of Hawkins and the surrounding area had decided to flock to Hawkins Community Pool at the same damn time! 

It had been utter madness. 

Just a few minutes, that was all he was asking for. Just a few, peaceful, minutes.

"Billy?"

Billy clenched his teeth and groaned quietly, feeling his eye twitch. 

_He really wasn't gonna get a break from these kids today._

Looking down he saw Eleven standing beside him, looking up at him with those big dark, innocent eyes of hers. He would never admit it out loud, but he did have a soft spot for El. The little girl not only reminded him of himself, but he was also a little protective over her after he learned about where she had come from. He felt better about his own fucked up childhood after he heard about hers.

Knowing he couldn't ignore her, he slowly got up and climbed down from the tower, giving the kid his undivided attention. 

El had that classic determined look on her face, the one she got when her mind had been made up and she wasn't changing it. However, nothing could have prepared Billy for what came out of her mouth. 

"Swimming lessons."

_...Come again?_

Billy blinked once, twice...waiting for some clarification. El just continued to stare at him expectantly, like he was the one who was slow on the uptake. 

"Gonna need a little more than that," he urged gently, trying to understand what Eleven was talking about. 

El then pointed up at him, "You...give me...swimming lessons." She looked over to where her friends were swimming happily, giving them a wave. 

Billy suddenly seemed to get what she was asking of him. He knew El couldn't swim like the rest of the kids. She wanted him to teach her, but why now? El had never given any indication that she was interested in learning before. 

He knew all about that stupid tank those bastards put her in back in that lab. 

"Billy? Would you?" El pleaded softly, touching his arm to gain his attention after he zoned out. She was giving him those eyes, those damn doe eyes that could paralyze him and make him powerless against her wishes.

He really didn't want to do what she was asking of him. 

Nevertheless, he couldn't tell the kid _no._

"Harrington!" he shouted across the pool, motioning for Steve to hurry up and come over. Steve looked up from the girl he was talking to and gave her an apologetic smile, jogging around the pool towards the tower. 

"The Hell do you want? I was totally about to score Robin a date!" Steve exclaimed, gesturing to the smoking hot blonde he'd been chatting up. "You're messing up my Wingman status, Hargrove."

"I need to use your pool, Pretty Boy."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

Steve rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation, "Okay, I'm gonna ask you why you need to use my pool at home when there is a perfectly good pool right here, and your answer can not be; _because I said so._"

Billy blatantly looked down at Eleven standing between them, "El wants me to teach her how to swim. Better to do it in a smaller pool somewhere she feels comfortable. This place ain't that." 

"Swimming lessons," El added helpfully, smiling up at Steve. 

Steve looked from Billy to El and back again, clearly bemused by the whole thing, but soon he just shrugged and gave them permission to come over whenever. It wasn't like his parents were ever home anyway and the pool should be used by someone. 

"Sure, whatever. You know where the spare key is." With that said, Steve jogged back around to see if he could finish his lovely conversation with the beautiful blonde. 

El looked back up at Billy and quietly asked, "Soon?" 

Thinking it over, Billy figured they could start in a couple days when he had some time off. Better to start early than overthink it and back out.

"Tell you what, I ain't workin' later this week. Why don't we start Thursday?" he offered. "Only _after_ you ask your pops and he tells you it's okay. Deal?"

"Deal."

After securing the deal, El ran off to tell Nancy that their plan was set in action, leaving Billy to groan and wonder what the Hell he'd just gotten himself into.

* * *

Thursday morning came sooner than Billy hoped. 

It was clear blue skies, perfect weather and no chance of any rain no matter how much he'd begged for some.

The day before, Hopper had called him and told him El was excited for her lessons. The main reason for calling had actually been to check on Billy though. Hop had asked if Billy was really up for the task, knowing he was still having trouble with strenuous physicality, a downside of having your sternum rearranged.

Billy had wanted to lie, say he was up to par, but instead he'd swallowed his pride and admitted he would give it all he had, but he couldn't promise it would be a whole Hell of a lot.

Hopper understood completely, urging Billy to not overdo it and that he would talk to El about taking it easy on him. 

They both knew how pushy she could be sometimes. 

Word had spread through the Party quickly and everyone had decided to join them, hoping to encourage El. 

His own discomfort was apparent. Earlier, before they'd left the house, Billy had been braiding Max's hair back and she'd commented that his hands were shaking a little.

Max had been concerned for his health just as Hopper had been, asking him over and over again if he was positive he was up for the task of teaching El. It had taken countless reassurances from him to get Max off his back, telling her he was _fine._

Which was a lie. 

He was far from fine. 

But no one else needed to know that.

Primarily, his annoying red headed shadow who wasn't afraid to defy him if she thought he was overworking himself. It frustrated the shit outta him sometimes when Max would do what she thought was best for him, keeping his health in mind.

Stealing his cigarettes when he had been forbidden from smoking to heal his chest.

Or when she took his pain medication because he was only a few pills away from an overdose.

Or when the little shit would hide his keys because he seemed too tired to go anywhere and she feared he'd pass out driving. 

The brat just wouldn't let him fucking die in peace. 

_Great, now his chest hurt from the stress he was under._

When they reached the Harrington residence, Max hopped out of the car first and rushed up to the door, grabbing the fake rock beside the welcome mat and unlocking the front door with the spare key. In case of any emergencies, everyone knew where the spare keys were to every household. 

Billy rubbed at his aching chest as he lazily followed Max inside, shutting the door behind them. There were voices coming from living room. Stepping around the corner, Billy saw all the boys sorting through swimming gear with El and Max, Steve chatting with Nancy behind them. 

El was dressed in her swimsuit, looking at the floaters and goggles Mike was giving to her, claiming she _needed to put these on._

Max helped El put on the goggles and adjust the strap while the boys took turns blowing up the arm floaties.

"What took you so long?" Steve asked, sliding up beside Billy in the doorway. 

"Traffic," Billy rumbled sarcastically, tossing a nod over to Nancy as she joined them. It seemed the other two teens could sense his hesitancy, sharing a quick look before asking him if he needed anything before getting started. 

"Got some good meds if you want," Steve motioned to his chest, meaning he must have known Billy wasn't feeling great. 

Billy just shook his head, he didn't want anything because the subtle ache gave him something to focus on. 

"Alright, everybody outside. Harrington, you're on towel duty," Billy commanded as he followed the nerd troop out the sliding glass doors. 

The pool was a fancy heated one, feeling more like bath water than a swimming pool. The boys all started arguing over who would sit where while they set their snacks down. Max claimed the pool lounger closest to the door and began making a nest for herself. 

El stood quietly next to Billy waiting for his instructions, her pink butterfly floaties pushing her arms out awkwardly. Her swimsuit was yellow with bees printed all over it, her matching yellow goggles framing her face.

She looked adorable. 

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Billy asked softly, still apprehensive about the whole thing. He knew the Hell El had been through and he was concerned that she would show signs of PTSD. 

He'd seen it first hand in many surfers back in California. 

He thinks back to one story where a guy was attacked by a tiger shark, loosing a large portion of his leg, and never went back into the water again. Another one was a girl that was caught in a strong undercurrent, dragging her across a bed of coral that broke multiple bones and nearly broke her neck. Some people couldn't overcome their fears and there was nothing wrong with that. 

The last thing Billy wanted was for El to push herself too hard and relapse. 

El gave him a gentle smile and nodded her head, "Safe."

Billy closed his eyes and had to fight back the unwanted emotions rising up. 

_Kick me right in the heart why don't you, kid..._

He would never understand why Eleven or any of the little ones felt safe around him. Not after everything he'd done.

"Alright," he conceded, taking off his shirt and tossing it onto one of the chairs so he was only in his swim trunks. He made his way over to the ladder with El following after him, standing off to the side as he climbed into the water. 

Getting El into the water would prove to be the hardest part. 

The kids all calmly encouraged El as she shuffled closer and closer to the edge of the pool, looking at the water with trepidation, worrying her bottom lip. 

"Come 'ere, we'll start off easy." Billy walked forward to the edge of the pool so the water was below his waist. He held up his hands and El slowly placed her hands on his shoulders, letting Billy lift her up from the edge to hold onto him. She frantically wrapped her arms around his neck when he stepped back further into the water, the gentle waves nipping at her feet. 

Billy kept his arm under her thighs so she felt secure, letting El test the water on her own terms. The others cheered El on for getting past the first step; getting into the pool. 

El glanced down and swung her feet slowly, splashing around a little. Slowly but surely, a smile began to emerge and she giggled, lowering her calves into the water.

"Great job, El!"

"You're doing amazing!"

"You'll be a regular water bug in no time!"

With each encouraging comment thrown her way, El began to gain some confidence and continued to splash around for awhile. 

Billy smirked at her, even though his arm was starting to grow tired. "See? Ain't so bad, is it."

El smiled and shook her head. She would admit that she was a little afraid when she got in but that quickly passed. So long as Billy was with her she felt safe, hanging onto him knowing he wouldn't drop her. It felt a bit silly to her that she was afraid of something so harmless, knowing her friends could be joining her if she weren't afraid. 

"Ready to go deeper?" Billy asked, waiting for El to give him the go-ahead before he moved. It took her a minute but she nodded slowly, tightening her arms around his neck.

"Max said she didn't need lessons, why?" El asked suddenly, remembering what the redhead had told her earlier. 

"Because Max is a water-baby," Billy revealed, continuing to walk backwards slowly. 

El furrowed her brow in confusion, "What is...water-baby?"

"What is _a_ water-baby," he corrected her grammar, letting her repeat him before answering her question. "That means she's a natural swimmer, some people are. Max could swim before she could walk," he explained. 

They continued further out into the pool, stopping once the waves reached Billy's chest and started lapping at Eleven's waist. 

"Alright, now we're gonna move on to the scary part. We need to get you comfortable being under water and submerging your face."

El looked nervous about that, biting her lip anxiously.

"It's called dunking, El. It's really fun if you give it a try!" Mike piped up helpfully, trying to give his girlfriend some pointers. He was really proud of her for wanting to overcome her fears and he would support her the whole way. 

It seemed that Mike's brief explanation gave El some bravery, her eyes hardening with determination, "Dunk."

"I'm gonna let you fall back into the water and pull you back up, okay? I'm not lettin' go," Billy assured her and told her to hold her breath, letting El gently fall backwards into the water. 

It took a few seconds for El to release her hold around his neck, afraid of letting go, but Billy just tightened his grip on her so she'd know he wouldn't let her go. 

That did the trick.

Billy lowered her backwards and waited until she was completely submerged before bringing her back up. 

"You did it, El! Yes!"

"Whoop! Whoop!"

"That'a girl!"

El flailed for a minute after Billy pulled her up but she was smiling. She got some water in her mouth, spitting it out with a puzzled look on her face. 

"No salt?" she whispered. 

Billy stared at her in bewilderment, not following, thinking she was referring to the sea for some reason. 

"It ain't like the ocean, sweets."

El shook her head and tried to explain, "Salt makes me weightless."

_Oh..._

Billy felt his stomach roll as he suddenly understood what she was talking about.

_The lab._

The tank in the lab where she was raised. The boys had explained how the quack doctors had used a sensory deprivation tank to enhance Eleven's powers. He was no science wiz, but he did know that those types of tanks used saltwater as a way to make the subject float in a weightless environment. 

"Dunk again!" El giggled, leaning backwards in his arms. She apparently liked the sensation of being dunked back, for whatever reason. Billy shrugged and told her to hold her breath, letting her fall backwards and sink for a couple seconds before pulling her back up. 

They continued to do that for a about half an hour, each time Billy would pull her up she'd dissolve into a fit of giggles. He wanted El to feel safe in the water, so if that meant playing around for awhile then so be it.

Billy wondered if El would end up being like Max in the water. His sister enjoyed being thrown around like a rag doll whenever she swam, claiming it felt like being a tiny kid again. It was bad enough that he had one rugrat hanging off his arm when they swam, now it looked like he was going to have two. 

_Great, now there's two of them..._

"Okay, think you're ready to try floating?" 

El nodded and let Billy manoeuvre her onto her front, keeping his hands along her legs and stomach so she wouldn't freak out, explaining how she would just need to relax and let the water hold her up.

It took some time before El felt comfortable enough to lower her face into the water and hold her breath.

"Just hold your breath and relax, stretch your arms out and let your legs stay limp behind you. I won't let go just like before, but if you need to breathe then raise your head up and take a big breath," Billy coached her and showed her how to breath off to the side, like he was looking over his shoulder. He explained that her arm floaties would keep her arms above the water for her. 

Once El was comfortable enough to lower her face, Billy gently pushed her body to remain flat just above the waters surface, pulling her up a little when she automatically tried to kick her feet. A few tries later and El was able to relax like he'd told her. She could hold her breath for quite awhile, staying under the water for a solid minute before bringing her head up to breathe again.

They continued to practice floating on her front for another hour until El was doing it on her own, not even realizing Billy had stepped away from her until she brought her head up again. 

"Did I do good?" El asked, waiting for Billy to hold onto her again before relaxing. 

Billy smirked at her, "Course you did, you'll be a natural in no time."

He heard the others cheer El on from the sidelines. Mike and Max were the loudest of them all, keeping up the inspiration they knew their friend needed. 

He really hoped Eleven understood just what amazing friendships she had. 

"What next?" El probed, poking Billy's shoulder to get his attention. She was practically vibrating now. 

"Next is floating on your back." He instructed her to lay backwards like she was laying on the water, pretending it was a bed, once again keeping his hands under her so she could feel his strength beneath her. This time, when El let herself lay backwards in the water, keeping her limbs loose like Billy told her to, she closed her eyes.

She instinctively shut her eyes.

_And that was a mistake._

Everything was silent for a minute, the sounds of the boys murmuring to each other and the water splashing against the poolside were the only noises, but Billy could instantly tell something was wrong. 

El had gone stiff...

Her eyes were shut but they were moving rapidly beneath her closed lids, like she was dreaming or looking around. Something was clearly wrong. 

"El?" Billy spoke softly just in case Eleven was having some kind of flashback. He tapped his fingers against her skin a couple times to try and gain her attention or at least get her to open her eyes. 

"What's wrong?" Max was suddenly at the edge of the pool, kneeling down next to them in concern. The boys had stopped what they were doing and had rushed over as well. 

"I don't know," Billy mumbled. "El, talk to me. What's wrong?" 

Eleven continued to ignore them all, seemingly trapped inside her own mind, her eyes continuing to move rapidly and her breathing slowly began to quicken. 

What no one realized was that she had unintentionally gone into an impulsive trance. One she had been conditioned to do. 

_Darkness. Void. Monster. Don't speak. It'll hear._

"Eleven?"

_Sick. Sickness in the air. Too damp. Cold._

"She must be in a trance or something?"

_Cold. So cold. Dark. It likes it cold._

"How do we help her?"

_Blood. Death. Torn apart. Can't find her._

"Don't touch her, that could make it worse!"

_Can't find her. Can't find them. Can't find---_

"Eleven!"

_BARBRA!_

El screamed, flailing her head around while tearing off the goggles and throwing them aside, sobbing and frantically wrapping her arms around Billy's neck. She cried brokenly, feeling guilt wash over her as the image of Barb's mangled corpse flashed through her mind.

Billy told Steve to grab the biggest towel he could find, hauling Eleven out of pool with him and gently shushing her, knowing she must have experienced a flashback or relapse. 

Steve rushed in his search and returned only moments later with a giant beach towel. They got El wrapped up as fast as they could, swaddling her like an infant. 

Once she was tightly bundled, Billy carried her inside the house to the couch and sat with her, letting her cry as much as she needed. 

"I'm gonna make her some iced tea," Nancy murmured quietly, heading off into the kitchen to give them some privacy. 

The kids all followed silently, sitting close enough to offer comfort but not so close they might overwhelm El even more. She was obviously suffering from some sort of panic attack which is why Billy's first response was to wrap her up, a way to shield her from outside sensations, allowing her to calm down. 

He'd suffered a couple panic attacks himself and knew how formidable they could be. 

It was like having someone reach inside your chest and squeeze your heart painfully. Your mind would go numb with fear for whatever reason, making it almost impossible to comprehend your surroundings.

_It was a terrifying experience..._

"What do you think happened?" Lucas asked softly, watching El shake uncontrollably beneath the towel. The boys all shared a look and Dustin quickly came to a conclusion. 

"It had to have been like an dissociative state, kind of like an automatic response or something. Remember the pool at the school? El was floating on her back with her eyes covered when she was looking for Will and Barb. Maybe floating like that and feeling her eyes covered brought back a type of mental conditioning?" 

"Okay, now what does all that mean in English?" Steve questioned, not understanding anything coming outta Dustin's mouth. 

Dustin groaned, pinching his nose in frustration at Steve. "Lucas, explain it to him."

"She had a flashback, dude."

"Thank you!" Dustin cried, giving Lucas a fist-bump.

"Why couldn't you have just said that in the first place?" Steve mumbled, petulant, heading off to the kitchen to fix everyone some lunch. 

They all rolled their eyes at Steve's childish antics before looking back at El. She was still shaking a little bit but she had stopped crying, her breathing had slowed down as well to a somewhat normal pace. She sniffled a couple times, looking up at them with big, wet eyes. 

"I'm sorry," she whispered, rubbing her nose. "I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay, El! You don't have anything to be sorry for, we all understand," Mike popped up beside her, smiling at her to try and cheer her up. "Do you wanna keep going? It's fine if you don't!"

El blinked away her remaining tears, rubbing her cheeks to wipe away the streaks. A small part of her wanted to give up and thrown in the towel. Hopper had told her there was no shame in that, if she wanted to quit all she needed to do was say so. 

But, she didn't want to quit. 

She wanted to keep going and show them she was capable, to make them proud of her. 

_And she would._

"Keep going. I don't want to stop," she announced with a soft smile, looking up at Billy. "Keep going?" 

Billy was proud of Eleven but also skeptical. He was happy she wasn't giving up, trying her best to achieve her goal, yet he was also not entirely convinced she was ready to just hop back into the water.

He figured he would settle on a compromise.

"Let's take a break for awhile, okay? It's already lunch time and you need to get out of the sun for awhile anyway. So, do me a favor and go eat some of Harrington's questionable cooking--"

"I take a offense to that!" Steve cried from the kitchen. 

"--and we'll hit the water again in an hour or so. Sound good?"

El smiled and nodded, holding up her pinky for a promise, "Sounds good."

* * *

While Eleven and the kids ambled off to the kitchen to grab lunch, Billy took the break to sit outside alone and smoke. His chest was hurting him still but it was only a dull ache, more of an annoyance than actual pain. 

_Still hurt though._

Lighting up a cigarette, he heard the sliding glass door open up and saw Nancy walk outside towards him, two glasses of tea in her hands. He also caught the small bottle of pills under her arm when she came closer. 

"Figured you could use some," she explained, tossing the pill bottle onto his lap. 

Billy accepted the kindness and quickly downed a few pills, swallowing half the glass of tea in one go. He hadn't realized how thirsty he'd been until the drink hit his tongue.

Normally he wasn't a huge fan of iced tea but on a hot summer day, anything would do. 

Nancy sat down in the chair beside him, the small table separating them. She sipped on her own drink for awhile before turning to look at him.

"You know, I want to ask you what you meant the other day...about Max's dad."

_Here we go._

He sighed heavily, knowing that _reporter Nancy_ was coming to the surface, grunting, "What about him?"

"Mike told me that Max had mentioned the reason you guys were forced to move was because of your parents, but she didn't say anything else," Nancy explained quietly. "Is that true?"

Rather than answer her, Billy remained silent and simply continued to smoke, visibly lost in his thoughts. Not wanting to pry, Nancy leaned back and just let the quiet continue. She didn't want to bring up any bad feelings or memories by questioning him, she was only curious about Max and him. 

It was quiet until Billy spoke again a few minutes later. 

"What did Max say about it?" he demanded, wanting to know just how much Max had disclosed to them before he added anything on. 

Nancy seemed taken aback by his sudden request, fumbling for a second before answering, "Just that it was because of both your parents, a fresh start or something like that, but that was all."

_Of course she did._

Billy grabbed his pack of smokes and lit up another one, he'd need it.

He didn't know how much he should tell Nancy, wondering if he should bother telling her anything at all, that wouldn't circle back around to Max or the other brats. 

For one, it was private, and two, it didn't concern any of the kids. 

It was one thing to divulge his and Max's past, but he didn't want what he was about to tell Nancy to somehow get back to Max, knowing she would be distraught if she learned the truth about her father. 

A truth he didn't want her to learn, ever. 

"This does not leave your mouth, Wheeler," he warned her lowly, glaring at her just to get his point across. "I'm serious, you fucking tell no one about this."

Nancy nodded rapidly, understanding the seriousness of the situation. She wouldn't tell a soul. She was glad to know that Billy seemed to trust her enough to tell her in the first place. 

Billy took a minute to study her and determine whether she was for real or not, wanting to be absolutely sure. After another silent minute, he sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair.

_Here we go..._

"Max ran away," he began softly. "She was...11 at the time, I was 16. It was a little bit before her birthday...she fought with her mom, I never got the whole story on why they argued, but Max was pissed and she stormed off to her room. Slams and locks the door. Won't come out for anyone." 

Billy remembered that night vividly. He could still hear the raised voices coming from the kitchen as the mother and daughter fought with each other. Max had been a stubborn little thing, never taking _no_ for an answer, almost to the point of screaming when she'd finally had enough and locked herself in her room. 

He remembered the following morning just as well. 

"So, morning comes and Susan manages to get the door unlocked...no Max. Her window was unlocked and her skateboard was gone. Didn't take a genius to know she'd bailed," he shrugged with a small smirk. 

Susan had been frantic that morning. She'd been worried Max had been gone all night and was close to calling the police. Neil had calmed her down enough to tell her that they would go look for Max first before getting the cops involved. 

So they did.

"I thought, _alright I gotta go track the kid down,_ figured she'd gone to her favorite rink or the arcade to blow off steam. Little shit had pulled that stunt before so I wasn't too worried. Thought I'd find her, take her back home, that'd be the end of it...but I _couldn't_ find her..."

It was only after searching for Max at all her favorite hang-outs and coming up empty that Billy's gut had twisted. 

He'd always found her before. 

After that, he'd started a fevered search around the underground of the city, looking for any sign of his wayward sister. 

"For 2 days...I tore that city apart looking for her. I didn't know what to think. Susan had called the cops and put out a missing persons notice on Max, hoping someone would find her. Only problem with that plan was that Max knew how to stay outta sight," he explained, begrudged by Max's ability. "I knew she wouldn't be found if she didn't wanna be."

That had been the longest 48 hours of his life.

When he'd come up empty after days of searching, demanding answers from anyone he could, Billy had become desolate with doubt. All he had to show for his attempts were a set of bruised and bloody knuckles. 

And then, in his agitated state, he'd had an epiphany.

"It wasn't until day 3, when I'm ready to lose myself in the bottle, that I suddenly knew where she was...call it intuition, call it brotherly instinct, call it whatever the fuck you want. I _knew_ that she'd gone to her dad..."

He could remember the sudden spike of rage he'd felt when he came to his conclusion. He despised Max's dad, furious that Max would even think of going to the man. He'd written out a short note to their parents before taking off in the camaro. 

Then he'd made the long drive to San Francisco.

"Sam Mayfield, Susan's ex-husband, lived half way up the coastline near San Francisco. It's where Max was born. Sam never left after the divorce, something about finances or some other bullshit. It had been years since Susan had last spoken to her ex. Max, she never understood _why_ her parents split...for good reason."

Nancy could tell from Billy's sullen tone that it wasn't going to be pleasant to hear. She still wanted to know, if not for that, Billy gave the subtle impression that he needed to get it off his chest. 

She could do that for him. 

"Why did they divorce?" she asked. 

Billy puffed on his cig for a few moments before blowing smoke, roughly stating, "Because the man is a raging drug addict..."

_Oh..._

Nancy was taken aback by the answer, not expecting anything so vile. Of all the things she had tried to picture Maxine's father as, a _drug addict_ had not been one of them. 

"Guess when he was working on the job he got hurt, like seriously hurt. Doesn't take much to start an addict when your poppin' the good shit every single day for months on end," Billy sneered. "Few on-the-side street dealers later, Sam was spending more time passed out in his own vomit than providing for his wife and baby girl."

"Jesus," Nancy whispered in revulsion, shocked by the revelation.

She couldn't imagine someone throwing their life away for a bottle of pills.

Billy had had the same reaction as Nancy when he'd learned the whole story. Both Neil and Susan had told him the truth, wanting him to know why Sam was not allowed to be around Maxine. They had hoped, if anything, that Billy would protect Max if Sam tried anything, which is why they told him everything. 

_Including the reason Susan left Sam._

"Max was 3 years old, when her mom finally had enough..." he sighed, not wanting to think about the story Susan had told him all those years ago. 

"Sam left an open bottle of pills spilled out on the coffee table, took too much and lost consciousness when he was supposed to be watching Max. Susan came home to find her husband passed out on the couch, half-dead, and barely breathing," he uttered, clenching his teeth. "...and Max was sitting on the floor..._chewing_ on a handful of pills, playing with the bottle thinkin' it was candy."

_God, he needed another cigarette._

"Susan left Sam at the house and rushed Max to the hospital, found out that Max, thankfully, hadn't swallowed any. They cleaned her mouth out and gave her some antibodies just to be safe. Whatever story Susan told them kept the cops from getting involved, probably thought they'd take Max away from her...probably should have..."

Nancy felt her stomach roll when she tried to picture a sweet, little baby girl playing with a _bottle of pills_ next to an unconscious parent. The possibility that Max could have been killed was sickening. 

What if her mom hadn't come home in time?

Billy watched the varied emotions cross over Nancy's face, knowing she was feeling the exact same thing he'd felt when he'd been told. 

"I might not give the woman much credit for her taste in men, or her parenting, but at least she had enough sense to leave Sam before something happened to Max," he stated with a shrug. 

It was no secret that he didn't necessarily care for Susan. 

"So, Susan jumps from boyfriend to boyfriend before settling with my old man. Sam gives up parental rights. They never see each other again. Max was allowed to talk to her dad over the phone, but she wasn't allowed to see him. Susan would never tell her why, as you can guess, and Max resented her mom for it."

"Do you think that's why they fought?" Nancy questioned, wondering what could cause such distress between Max and her mother. 

Billy shrugged again, not knowing how to answer that. He'd questioned Max about it but she would never tell him and he didn't bother to ask Susan. 

"So, next thing, I drive all night to San Francisco," he said with a humorless smirk.

It had been a grueling drive. The only time he bothered to stop was for gas, speeding the whole way. It was a wonder he hadn't been pulled over. His mind had been on overdrive, seeing horrific scenarios play out in his head involving his sister and her imprudent adventure to the North! 

"She still won't tell me how she made it there..." he muttered. "By a stroke of luck I somehow reached Sam at the same time Max did."

_He did not want to remember that night..._

The night he'd watched his baby sister fall apart. 

"I got there...and I--I saw Max standing there at the front door..._crying_..." he whispered, his throat tightening when he pictured Max's wet eyes staring up at her old man. 

She'd looked so lost. 

He'd never get that goddamn image out of his memories.

"Sam was so wrecked he couldn't even recognize his own daughter. I could hear Max trying to talk to him...she didn't understand that the man was too fucking tripped to even speak a full sentence, hardly able to understand he was looking at his own kid."

He'd listened to the delirious fool tell Max that she needed to leave, just leave, leaning against the door frame as though he couldn't stand on his own.

Max had looked completely confused, not understanding why she was being turned away by someone she loved. 

Someone she thought loved her. 

"When she saw me, she ran to me...a-and I just picked her up and walked away...I didn't want that monster anywhere near her."

Nancy felt her heart ache for the siblings. Just imagining what must have been going through their heads was enough to make her eyes fill with tears. 

"You know what that worthless, son of a bitch had the audacity to say to me before I left?" Billy rumbled, glaring at the last memory he had of Sam Mayfield. "He said, _take_ _the cunt back to her bitch and don't fuckin' come here again._ And it took every ounce of self-control I had not to kill him..."

"He said those words to you? About his own child?" Nancy gasped, unable to believe a parent could act so cruelly towards their own kid. 

Billy's look was answer enough. 

"I'll never forget the way she looked at me," he said quietly.

She watched Billy stare off into the pool water, seeing a lone tear slowly trek down his cheek. 

_Oh, Billy._

"She just--s-she looked at me a-and--and she said, _'what's wrong with Daddy?'_...and I--I couldn't do it, Nancy, I--how was I supposed to look that girl in the eye and tell her the truth?" he stammered, his eyes watering from the stress of having to re-live those unwanted memories. 

"I couldn't do it..." he admitted again, swallowing thickly. "I couldn't tell her the truth so I s-said, _'He's just drunk, babygirl, he doesn't mean it'_\--and she fucking believed me. That's the only time I have ever lied to her."

Nancy stared at him with soulful eyes, her own watering when he reached up to wipe his eyes. If they were closer to each other she'd have wrapped her arms around him to offer what little comfort she could. 

Billy blinked away the few tears welling up. He wouldn't let himself break down just because of some bad memories, no matter how heartbreaking they were.

"8 months later we were moving to Indiana," he murmured. "We left California to keep Max away from her dad...to give us all a fresh start. The _fresh start_ bullshit is what they told Max."

"Is that why you guys fought all the time?" she asked gently, leaning forward. 

"We blamed each other for moving out here. Max was angry at me and Neil, blamed us for her mom's divorce. I blamed her and her mom for fucking up my life, for my mom walking out...and her never coming back," he mumbled. "Didn't have to make any sense for us to be angry with each other, you know? We both just needed someone to blame." 

He took out another cigarette, just twisting it between his fingers. It was crazy how fucked up their lives were when he put it all out in the open. 

"Reality of it is, my dad is a domineering asshole, Susan is a nervous disaster, my mother went astray and Sam Mayfield is the scum of the Earth. All that leaves two broken children who only have each other..."

_And wasn't that the truth of it all?_

In the end, Billy had Max and she had him. Even back when they had hated each other they still knew they could rely on one another, being the only constants in each others lives. It was messed up, but that didn't make it any less true.

While he smoked another, Nancy was trying to wrap her head around the chaos she'd just been told. There were no words to describe it. The only thing she could do was offer her comfort. 

"I'm so, _so_ sorry, Billy...I can't imagine what that all must have been like."

She honest to God, couldn't. 

She tried to imagine her own dad being like Sam, just to try and picture the pain Max must have felt, but it was impossible. 

Ted Wheeler may have been a lazy old man and left most of the parenting to his wife, but he always loved Nancy and Mike and Holly with all his heart. They all knew that for a fact. 

To have a parent choose a vice over their child? 

_Unimaginable._

Billy thought back to all the times he and Max had fought, really fought, when he'd been pushed past his limits and ready to snap. It was during those times that he'd been worried he'd started to become his dad.

"You know there were so many times I wanted to scream at her and tell her the truth about her dad, for no other reason than to hurt her. The ravings of a bitter teen that wanted to just ruin someone else...and I can't tell you how many times I actually thought about it, but what good would it have done? A brief feeling of morbid satisfaction to see her break, just to make myself feel better, and destroy the uncorrupted picture Max has of her old man? That alone would make me a worse man than Neil."

"Why keep the truth from Max?" she questioned curiously, wondering why they'd kept Max in the dark about her father.

"You know what the difference is between an addict and an abuser?" he asked slowly, taking a drag of smoke. "You can cure an addict. You can't cure someones personality."

"If, and when, Max is old enough and her piece of shit dad pulls himself together, I want that man to look my sister in the eye and explain to her why she grew up without a father. I want him to tell her the truth and see how much pain he caused her. I want _him_ to tell her the truth...because the man deserves to watch every ounce of faith she has in him fade..."

It sounded cruel, but it was exactly what Billy desired. 

"Doesn't that seem a little _heartless_? I mean, I understand why you would hate the guy, but would you really be so unmerciful to the man?" Nancy looked at him mystified, silently wondering if he could be so cold-hearted.

Billy just gave her a grim smirk, "Sorry, Wheeler...but I'm not one to show mercy."

"That's the way the world works. People can fix themselves, right every wrong they've ever made in their lives, and apologize for every sin they committed," he claimed with a vicious grin. "But people don't have to accept apologies."

Finishing off his cigarette, Billy flicked the ash away before stubbing it out with the others. He then drove his argument home.

"If he makes an effort to be part of Max's life someday, then good for him. If he never comes around and would rather spend his days watchin' pink elephants on parade, then that's fucking fine with me. I'll love Max enough for both of us...but I won't allow him back into her life unless she knows what kind of man he really is. Just because Max is his biological daughter does not mean he has any right to be a part of her life," he dictated with low growl.

He'd concede to Sam becoming a part of their lives only if Max allowed her father in.

_And even then, only if Billy allowed it._

Nancy gave him a long, calculated look. Before she could comment, the sliding glass door opened up and Eleven hopped outside with Max at her heels, a glass in both their hands. 

Billy rubbed his eyes one more time before the kids could reach him and Nancy, not wanting either of his girls to see him stressed out.

His attempts seemed useless though, because the second Max and El came over and looked at him, both girls went from carefree to anxious.

"Sad?" El asked gently, concern shining in her eyes as she studied Billy carefully.

"No, sweets. I'm fine," Billy tried to reassure them both when he saw their faces change. El looked worried where as Max suddenly looked hostile.

_Crap._

"What'd you do?" Max demanded, turning her glare towards Nancy. 

Max still held some animosity towards Nancy. It was expected after watching the other girl attempt to shoot her brother during the battle at the Mall.   
It wasn't an easy thing to forgive, much less forget about. 

"Max, easy...we were just talking." Billy's aim to try and calm Max only backfired on him when the redhead turned her glare on him. 

"What did she say to you?" she pressed, wanting to know why he was troubled. 

Billy quickly shook his head and motioned between himself and Nancy. "That is between me and her."

"Your upset!" Max argued, not understanding why he wouldn't tell her. 

"That is still between me and Nancy," he ruled firmly, watching her shrink under his authoritative tone.

Max looked between the two teens for a moment before softly asking, "Just tell me she didn't hurt you, please?"

Billy's eyes softened at his little sisters pleading. He forgot sometimes that Max could be just as protective as him, with a temper to match. She was only worried about him. 

Plus, he knew Max still had some unresolved issues with Wheeler. 

"Look at me," he ordered softly, waiting for Max to meet his eyes. "We were just talking, that's all. Some shit came up that was hard to think about...that's all. She didn't do anything wrong. Hear me?"

Max stared at him silently for a minute trying to determine whether he was lying or not, but she eventually accepted his answer and sent a small smile to Nancy, silently apologizing for her accusation. 

"You wanna go refill this for me?" Billy asked and picked up his glass, handing it over to her. "While me and El get ready to head back in?"

The girls set their stuff down and Max took Billy's glass inside to fill it, leaving El to get her floaties adjusted right as well as her goggles. 

Within a couple minutes everyone had wandered back outside to the pool, taking their seats with full glasses of iced tea and more snacks to munch on. The boys all gave their encouragements as El climbed into the water with Billy. 

"Okay, we're gonna move on. Let's start you on some strokes."

Billy gave El a brief rundown on what he would teach her, explaining what a backstroke and a breaststroke was. He left El holding onto the ladder as he showed her each stroke. They would start her with a breaststroke to try and keep her off her back for awhile. 

"Now, your upper body isn't gonna rotate much. This is where you're going to use your legs more than anything, your arms will help to balance you." Billy let El roll to her stomach, holding her up until she began to float on her own. 

El tried to recreate the style he'd shown her but she flailed a little by trying to move her torso. It was hard for her to keep her chest and stomach still and rely only on her legs. After a few more failed attempts she was able to manage a short burst with Billy swimming beside her. 

"That was great!" Mike exclaimed proudly, the others cheering beside him. 

"At this rate, El will end up being a better swimmer than you, Byers." Dustin joked, tossing a skittle at Will who stuck his tongue out. 

"Shut up, I dog paddle just fine!"

"You flounder around like a seagull in a hurricane!"

"Do not!"

"Do so!"

The two continued to bicker childishly at each other. 

"How'd we end up best friends with them again?" Lucas asked as he and Mike watched the other boys squabble. 

"Because we're just as pathetic as they are. Popcorn?" Mike offered, holding up his bag of cheesy popcorn puffs. 

"Oh, don't mind if I do!"

Max rolled her eyes across from them, "Idiots..."

* * *

The day continued on slowly and soon evening was upon them. 

Billy let El learn at her own pace, allowing her to take as many breaks as she needed. The kid was a great student. She soaked up everything he told her and would always try her best to mimic his movements. There were no more freak outs to Billy's relief. He had been a little worried about Eleven's constitution, then again, his own wasn't exactly fantastic. He'd been tempted to take some of Steve's pain killers the other teen offered him. It had been a long time since he'd physically pushed himself so hard. His chest contained an absurd amount of scar tissue, making it difficult for his muscles to contract the way they should. With every exertion he could feel the tissue tighten. 

But, he would power through the pain because he had a little girl that was counting on him. If El wouldn't give up, neither would he. 

El had successfully done both a breaststroke and a side stroke on her own with Billy following beside her. The Party all congratulated her on her win, giving her all the praise in the world, her own personal cheer squad.

"You got yourself a fan club, kiddo," Billy grinned at her, watching El smile brightly at her friends. 

El looked up at him with a resolute look, that stubbornness coming back in her eyes. She looked over to the others for a second and back to Billy, then down at the water, her look hardening to pure determination. 

"I can do it," she decided with a firm nod. She then tugged both her floaters off, tossing them onto the pool edge.

_Holy Hera!_

"Oh my God, Ladies and Gentlemen!" Steve acted as the spin-doctor, forming his hands into a megaphone. "Off. Come. The. Floaties!"

"El, are you sure?" Will asked hesitantly, afraid El was going too fast. 

"Fuck yeah," she declared.

"Language," Billy chided with a mild frown, not used to hearing El use foul language. 

El furrowed her brow for a second before changing her words, "Fuck _yes_. Proper English?"

Billy stared for a second before he busted out laughing, confusing her. He couldn't even scold her for that one because it was too damn funny. 

El was trying, he'd give her that.

"Nevermind. But seriously, you sure you're comfortable without them on?" he questioned, keeping his grip on her just in case. 

"I can do it. Stay close?" she asked, wanting to do it herself but also wanting the assurance that Billy would stay beside her. 

She wasn't quite ready to be alone. 

"I'm here if you need me. You wanna go for a lap around the pool?" Billy let her go so she could swim beside him, making sure her goggles were on right so she wouldn't get water in her eyes. 

El nodded excitedly and turned herself around, getting onto her stomach so she could to her breaststroke. 

_And off she went._

Billy swam beside her slowly as El kicked her feet rapidly, reaching her arms as far as she could in a clumsy effort to go in a straight line. The kids had all jumped up and were walking along beside El rooting for her, giving her praise, keeping her motivated.

"You can do it! You got this, El!"

"Come on! Keep going! You're almost half way there!"

"Move those arms, girl!"

"Keep those feet kicking!"

While they were all cheering, no one saw the sliding glass door open. 

As El was doing her lap, Hopper and Joyce arrived right in the middle of the crazy commotion! They saw all the kids running around the pool yelling excitedly, watching Eleven in the water. 

"Whoa! Wait! She doesn't have her floaties on!" Hopper cried, hearing Joyce yelling the same exact thing until they both suddenly realized that _El was swimming!_

"Oh my God! She's swimming! Joyce! El's swimming!" 

Joyce and Hopper rushed over to the ladder where El was headed, getting in on the rally themselves. Joyce felt her eyes water with the surge of happiness she felt, seeing the kids so excited and getting to enjoy just being kids. 

When El pops up by the ladder she smiles brightly and looks up at Hopper overjoyed, "Did you see me, Dad, did you see! I did it! I can swim!"

"Beautiful, babe! You did amazing, absolutely amazing, sweetheart!" Hopper exclaimed proudly, swallowing a couple times to fight down the emotion rising in his throat. He helped El climb out and wrapped a towel around her, giving her a quick cuddle. 

Billy followed suit, climbing out and accepting the towel Steve tossed him. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of Hop and El, watching the little girl tell her dad all about her swimming lessons. Over her head, Hopper looked at Billy and mouthed a silent _thank you_ before focusing back on his daughter, listening to her explain how Billy was a great teacher. 

"You did good today, Hargrove." Steve bumped Billy's shoulder, sliding beside him. 

"Not so bad yourself. You make a pretty good cabana boy," Billy teased with a leering wink, laughing as Steve swatted at him in annoyance. 

"Fuck you."

"Language!"

"Off thou fuck-_eth!"_

* * *

As September ended and October fell upon Hawkins, the weather had cooled down significantly and the leaves changed to their vibrant fall colors. The whole town had begun to decorate their homes and businesses with scarecrows and pumpkins, corn stalks, hay bails and wicker baskets. It looked like a typical small town during Autumn. 

The biggest event, though, was the unveiling of the new memorial in honor of Hopper and Billy. 

There was no big party or celebration, mostly because Hopper threatened anyone who tried to plan one, not wanting it to be a big deal. The only ones that really deemed it important to celebrate were the Party members and their families. They'd all gathered to see the new memorial plaque outside the towns pavilion in the square, along with the town officials. 

Billy was still unenthusiastic about the whole mess. 

He'd let Max and Eleven drag him there, claiming it was important to them that he see it. No matter how much he had wanted to argue, he couldn't deny their wishes. So, he'd reluctantly gotten dressed and thrown on his new black overcoat Joyce had gifted him, the soft material shielding him from the cold weather he still wasn't used to. 

But of course, before they could leave, both his girls demanded he braid their hair so they would look nice.

_Needy little shits..._

After an arduous hair-styling venture, copious amounts of coffee, one last attempt at backing out, Billy and the girls had arrived at the town square to find the boys and their families, most the the police force, Hawkins town officials, some newspaper reporters and Jonathan acting as Hawkins Post photographer. 

"And then the wolves came..." Billy droned, instantly swarmed by everyone. 

The first one to reach him was Mrs. Henderson, or Claudia, who threw her arms around him to give him a big hug as she blubbered about how he'd saved her Dusty-bun. 

_Oh, he was so gonna use that to tease Henderson later._

Next, and even more surprisingly, was Mrs. Sinclair hugging him. That one kind of threw him off. Casting a look over at Lucas, Billy watched the kid just smile apologetically and shrug. 

Then came Joyce, which he didn't mind, followed by Hopper who gave him a firm slap on the back. He and Hop shared a silent understanding with each other. They didn't need words, they just knew what the other meant with subtle actions. 

"You made it!" Nancy cried and threw herself at him for a hug, once again shocking him. 

The Hell is with all these people hugging him?

Not wanting to come off as rude, Billy patted her back awkwardly and tried to unwind his tense body. He was a little high-strung with anxiety being surrounded by so many people who's main focus was him.

"It took some effort, believe me," Max popped up under his arm, smirking up at Nancy. The two girls seemed to share an understanding look. 

Nancy smiled gratefully, "Thank you for bringing him here, Max." 

"I helped," El pipped up, squeezing under Billy's other arm. "He braided our hair too."

"Oh really?" Steve suddenly appeared grinning mischievously. "You know you are a _marvelous_ beautician, Hargrove. I'm actually a little jealous."

Billy just _tsked_ at the jab, smirking dangerously, "Whatever you say, _Farrah Fawcett_."

A betrayed look crossed Steve's face as he turned to glare at Dustin, watching the kid shrug nervously. 

"I asked Max if Billy had any of that Farrah Fawcett spray so I wouldn't have to buy some!"

"I told you that was confidential information! You were supposed to keep it _hush-hush,_ pea-brain!"

"Well if it makes you feel better, Billy uses those stupid _Clairol Bender_ curler thingies!" Dustin accused heatedly, trying to get the spotlight off him!

Steve stuttered and slowly turned to look at Billy, gauging his reaction. "Really?"

"Course I do. How do you think I get the perm look _without_ the perm?" Billy shrugged, taking out his pack of cigarettes. "Unlike you, Pretty Boy, I ain't bashful about my good looks."

"That's...that's not an image I needed in my head," Mike stated with distaste. "And now it's in my brain."

"Are we all gathered? Is everyone here?" One of the officials bellowed, looking around for confirmation so they could start. 

Everyone gathered closer while the officials stood around the memorial, holding the clothe cover hiding the plaque from view. 

Max and El stood beside Billy, one on either side, holding onto him in anticipation. 

Hopper walked up to stand beside Eleven, Joyce and the boys flocking him. They all stood together as the head official waited for the pictures to finish before starting. 

"First and foremost, let's have a round of thanks to Ms. Nancy Wheeler and Ms. Jane Hopper for their efforts to make this all possible," he began. "And let's not forget the young supports that stood behind them. Ms. Maxine Mayfield, Mr. Michael Wheeler, Mr. Lucas Sinclair, Mr. Dustin Henderson and Mr. William Byers. I would also like to give credit to Mrs. Joyce Byers and her contributions."

The Party all blushed under the praise, except Dustin who beamed happily to show off his pretty pearls. 

"Now, for what we've all been waiting for. It is my pleasure to unveil Hawkins newest memorial." The officials rose together and grabbed the cover, slipping it off to reveal the plaque to everyone. 

The head chairman turned his gaze towards Hopper and Billy, a gentle smile washing over his face, "From the bottom of our hearts, thank you both."

Everyone broke out in an uproarious cheer, clapping excitedly and they all rushed to read the memorial, cameras at the ready. The reporters took their shots quickly and moved over to Hopper to try and score a word with him. The Party all took their turns posing next to the plaque so their parents could take their picture. Claudia and Mrs. Sinclair wanted a thousand photos between the two of them. 

Billy let himself be dragged over to the memorial when Florence demanded a picture of him and Hopper together for the Police Station. He wasn't brave enough to argue with the feisty old woman. 

"Give us a smile!" Florence cooed, holding up her camera ready to shoot.

"Better do what she wants or we'll be here all day," Hopper whispered, giving his best _I'm-not-stressed_ smile. Both men managed to look pleased enough for Florence's standards, only having to suffer through a handful of shots. 

Once that was finished and everyone seemed satisfied with their pictures, Billy stood silently next to the pavilion smoking, trying to block out the crisp October air. He feared he would never become acclimated to winter weather. 

_And it ain't even that cold yet._

Someone suddenly saddled up next to him and leaned against his shoulder, brown chocolate locks ghosting over his arm as he turned slightly to see Nancy's smiling face.

"Did you read it?" she asked easily, knowing how he felt about the whole thing in the first place. She didn't want to push him but she knew he needed it.

_Even if he didn't know it._

"I don't want to," he admitted, quietly gazing over to where Max and El were playing, keeping an eye on them. 

Instead of speaking right away, Nancy turned towards him and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head against his own. She just held onto him, silently giving him the chance to quell the anxiety within him. 

"I think you need to," she whispered, pulling back to give him a soothing smile. 

She gently grabbed his hand and leisurely guided him over to the memorial. Standing beside him, she laced her arm through his own to offer him reassurance, taking his weight in a way. 

Billy shifted uncomfortably, keeping his gaze averted from the sigh next to them. He'd purposefully kept his eyes away from the plaque the whole time. It's shiny bronze finish mocked him, revealing his self-consciousness in all it's pathetic glory.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he slowly let himself breathe before gaining the courage to read the metal before him. It was bronze with black printed lettering, shining in the sunlight like a beacon, with a scripture.

_Here goes nothing..._

Sighing, he began to read.

_This plaque is dedicated to the valiant endeavours of Hawkins Chief of Police James "Jim" Hopper and Billy Hargrove, for their unfathomable acts of courage during the catastrophe on July 4th, 1985 that befell the town of Hawkins, Indiana. Their righteous undertaking very nearly cost them their lives, yet they "planted their feet" in the face of the gallows to protect the children of Hawkins. Without these heroic men, the phenomenon could have ended in tragedy. _

_It is a grim thing to hear a second hand account of any traumatic event, though it is always harrowing when such tales stem from the innocence of a child. Jane Hopper, daughter of Jim Hopper, was a survivor of the devastation. She and the other children have honored their heroes with this memorial plaque._

_"Billy saved my life that day, in more ways than one. He was willing to get himself killed to spare my life. I know he will never accept himself for who he is, but Billy Hargrove will always be a good person in my eyes. I hope one day he will believe that too."_

_\- Jane "El" Hopper._

_May their valor always be remembered, and may we all strive to find our own courage as those brave men did that fateful day._

"Do you understand now?" Nancy spoke softly, looking over to where Eleven and Max were giggling together, playing in the fallen leaves.

She looked at him with sympathetic eyes, reaching up to wipe away the tears slowly streaming down his face. She knew it would be hard for him, but he needed to hear it. Cupping his cheeks, she waited for those soulful blue eyes to meet her own. 

_Maybe one day, she hoped, he would believe it as much as they did._

"Through her eyes, you will _never_ be anything but _good_, Billy."

_Fin_


	2. Authors Note

Hello my lovelies! I just want everyone to know that I AM ALIVE, I PROMISE. Things have been a little crazy lately is all. Not only am I a _part time _writer, but I also own and operate an Animal Sanctuary full time. Plus, with the holidays coming up really quickly I have family coming in to visit sooooo yeah, actually have to clean my house that normally runs as a functional disaster. 

Anyway, that said, I WILL be posting a Halloween Special! Hopefully that will be enough for everyone to lower the pitchforks and not storm the castle. Keep a look out on Halloween Day for part 10 of Stranger Drabbles, The Halloween Special. 

Love you all! 

**Author's Note:**

> Well...so that happened...
> 
> I'm sorry...not really. 
> 
> Writing that damn plaque was the hardest fucking part! Thank God for Google Dictionary! 
> 
> Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this one because it took forever and a day to jot down. Hopefully I didn't need to add in a tissue warning...or maybe I should have?
> 
> Kudos and Comment! I thrive on them!


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